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howdoo - i recently started playing in PFS as a halfling merciful healer [ a cleric archetype from Ultimate Combat] and im currently 1 adventure away from 3rd level.
Basically i was wondering if anyone can give any advice as to further character progression that can maximize my characters merciful healer abilities -
- should i risk dipping into another class? maybe paladin?
or should i stay focus on merciful healer?
- are there any feats i should be gunning for specifically?
- are there any items/treasures [apart from wand of cure light wounds and healers kit] that i should keep an eye open for?
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It depends on the type of healer you want to be. Oracle of Life makes for some great healing, and gives you quite a few spell slots of healing if you want it. Also has some great abilities to back it up. Items....pick up some wands and some scrolls/potions. Scroll of breath of life should be an immediate pick up once you have the fame and gold for it.
Start saving for a phylactery of positive channel (11k). It adds 2d6 to your channel for healing. Also look into metamagics for your cure spells. Since you don't provoke attacks of opportunity, the Reach Spell feat can be handy to make them Range: close (25' + 5'/2 lvls). Metamagics rods run 3k for the minors and can allow you to add an extra metamagic without raising the spell slot. The Chirugeon's bag from the APG has some good non-magical stuff for healing and curing ailments. And of course, always have a healing potion on you and tell the party where it is in case you drop and they need to revive you.
I wouldn't bother dipping paladin unless you want to have more martial, which is usually the opposite of why someone chooses Merciful Healer. Really, this depends on how you play the character.
It depends on the type of healer you want to be. Oracle of Life makes for some great healing, and gives you quite a few spell slots of healing if you want it. Also has some great abilities to back it up. Items....pick up some wands and some scrolls/potions. Scroll of breath of life should be an immediate pick up once you have the fame and gold for it.
I avoid dipping for healing spells as you out-level them too quickly. A handful of cure lights doesn't mean as much at 8th level. Also the Merciful Healer has the awesome ability to cast a 'cure wounds' spell without provoking attacks of opportunity. Though, I'm not sure if it is all cure spells or just the ones from the cleric levels.
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Not knowing what you have right now, I'd suggest extra channel and selective channeling at the very least.
For gear, take a look at the Chirurgeon’s Bag in the Field Guide. The alchemical items in it are useful for various situations.
Because of the wording in the archetype's mercy ability, while the various Mercy feats made for paladins might work with your ability, sadly as a straight cleric you won't qualify for them since they mostly require lay on hands. So if some of them look interesting to you, you might consider dipping 2 levels in to paladin to get LoH, but I'd probably not suggest it.
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Just a word of caution for a fellow healer cleric.
Being a healer/support cleric requires you to do more then healing. At lower levels pure Hp healing is fine, but as you level, you will face other sources of damage like damage to abilities. These will require you to prepare other spells like lesser restoration.
Also as the party's healer, the most important thing is to stay ALIVE. If you go down... then who's going to heal the party?
Merciful healer seems pretty powerful as a healer, but as I would suggest you look into other Domains that provide buffs that protect or assist your allies in not being hit in the first place or get them out of trouble if they are.
Domains like the Liberation domain, can keep YOU out of trouble and help your friends if they are in trouble.
Being a Cleric in Pathfinder is more then just being a healbot. You got to be able to keep the party on their feet at well.
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Start saving for a phylactery of positive channel (11k). It adds 2d6 to your channel for healing. Also look into metamagics for your cure spells.
As a pathfinder society character would i be abler to get that legally?
Merciful healer seems pretty powerful as a healer, but as I would suggest you look into other Domains that provide buffs that protect or assist your allies in not being hit in the first place or get them out of trouble if they are.
Except that as a merciful healer i can ONLY access the healing domain.
Hi - I`m currently creating my Merciful healer myself.
I was also looking to maybe later on dip into paladin but Ncikademus42 is right. A paladin stands at the front fighting off the evil armies of doom while the merciful healer is specifically designed not to engage in combat - also why he can't channel negative energy or damage with positive energy.
fair enough - it was only an option i was thinking about at the time.
I was wondering Macloud, what stats did you give your Merciful healer. I know that clerics in general have mainly make use wis, int and cha as but I`m on the fence between giving him more cha (better channeling) vs giving him more int (wider spell-selection per day).
I was thinking of going with something along the lines of STR 10, Dex 12, CON 11, WIS 14, INT 15, CHA 17.
Tell me what you think and what you did.
Thanks
mine is the following:
STR 11, DEX 12, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 16, CHA 12while im probably not the go to guy for advice id initially say take a point from STR and pump it into WIS - again the merciful healers ideally a non combatant, so a high STR aint gonna do much good to you.
Start saving for a phylactery of positive channel (11k). It adds 2d6 to your channel for healing. Also look into metamagics for your cure spells.As a pathfinder society character would i be abler to get that legally?
Of course. Fame will get you access to items over 11k. I actually saw it's counterpart (phylactery of negative channel) on a tier 4-5 chronicle.
mine is the following:
STR 11, DEX 12, CON 12, INT 14, WIS 16, CHA 12while im probably not the go to guy for advice id initially say take a point from STR and pump it into WIS - again the merciful healers ideally a non combatant, so a high STR aint gonna do much good to you.
I highly recommend you put your 4th level ability score point into Cha and get Selective channel so you're able to heal the party and not the BBEG. Won't help in crowds, but even one exclusion can make those channels go a long way.
I figured since I'm not going to be close to the fight (exceptions do apply) str and dex are not gonna help me much. As for con, I was thinking of putting a few point into it just to be on the safe side but again I shouldn't get hit this should not fall unconscious right?
You are the healer. Any intelligent enemies should target you first. Food for thought.
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Thanks , and sorry yes I ment wis and cha not int. so basically i'm more of a range cleric I would put more into cha and if I'm more melee then wis correct? So perhaps inverting my int and wis would be advisable. What do you all thing about this setup : STR 10; DEX 10; CON 10; INT 14; WIS 16; CHA 17
I figured since I'm not going to be close to the fight (exceptions do apply) str and dex are not gonna help me much. As for con, I was thinking of putting a few point into it just to be on the safe side but again I shouldn't get hit this should not fall unconscious right?
Why a Healer/support Cleric needs defenses:
1) Your healing spells need to touch their targets. You will need to walk into the front-lines to heal your allies. While a Mercyful healer can avoid AOO when casting healing spells, they can still be attacked.
2) You can and will be attacked from behind. Your enemies won't always pop up in front of the party. They can ambush you from behind or even fly pass the party's defenders to get to you.
3) You need HP. You have a low Dex and low Reflex scores. A Fireball/lighting spell will easily hit you. And hit you from range. With no good Reflex to soften the damage, you need HP to survive. 10 con is asking for trouble.
4) You are Supporting the party. You should not expect the party to be always there to pull you out of trouble. You may not have a scout/defender etc to warn or keep the enemies off you.
Looking at your argument reminds me of himself when I first started playing Pathfinder. I though that since I'm a "spell-caster" I can stay behind and cast spells at range. Its a MMORPG stereotype. There is no "tanking" or "drawing aggro" in Pathfinder. Monsters can and will target the Healer of the party. With you down, they can wipe the party more easily!
Clerics needs a wider ability score spread then most other classes. Dex, Str, Con, Int... ALL are need. Str to wear heavier armor, Dex for defenses and some spells DO use your dex to hit. Con for hp, Int to make up for your low skill points per level, Wis for spells and Cha for channel.
No matter what is your spread, there is no "dump stat" for Clerics.
Thomas is made for mostly channeling.
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Str 10
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 14
Cha 18
Important Feats: Selective Channel, Extra Channel
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I agree with Nickademus42's stat spread if you are channel heavy.
If you are looking for a more... generalist spread:
Str 11 - With 11 str you can wear some heavier armors. 10 Str is ok, but you may end up having to wear Mithral or you will easily over burdens yourself.
Dex 12 - +1 Ini, +1 reflex save, +1 AC
Con 14 - Rise this higher when you can, toughness or a magic belt.
Int 12 - (Optional!) This is only if you need the skill point. Otherwise spend it into Wis or Str or Cha. 15 or 17 in an ability score means you can up it to 16 or 18 when you reach level 4.
Wis 14 - Pull all level-up bonus into this. You want Wis for your spellcasting.
Cha 16 - At +3 modifier, you should be able to get Selective Channeling going properly. Also with 3 + 3 = 6 channels, you have an even number for Quick Channel, which uses 2 channels for a Swift action use of channeling.
or
More Spellcasting -
Str 10
Dex 10
Con 14
Int 10
Wis 16 - 16 to 18 Wis is encouraged for spellcasting Clerics.
Cha 16
Just remember what you are aiming for. There are Cleric spells that key of Wis, so as a channel focus cleric, you are harder press to balance your stats right.